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Know anyone who learned to ski after 50? Be honest.

KingGrump

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photo please
or even better, video

That is her on the right in Dec 2021 at Stratton.

1661962396004.jpeg

I am not a ski instructor. I refrain from teaching others to ski. Especially beginners. Too much truth and insufficient empathy.

She is married with grown children. She has different goals and aspiration than some of us.
My task assignments with her are mainly hardware consultant, queer eye, part time physical trainer and reality check expert.

Don't have any video. Wasn't with her during the winter.
She was doing OK at the end of her 5 days stay in Dec. She has stayed at the house couple more time after we left. Taken lessons as advised every time when she was up. Last I heard she can do bunny hills at Stratton.

She was challenged physically at the start of the season. 30+ years of sedentary life style can extract a toll on the body. She started in Oct when she had her boots fitted. Not quite enough improvement for a kicka** Dec. Went back to more physical conditioning after she left. She said she felt stronger every time she went back up for skiing.
She has continued the conditioning through the spring and summer. She said she is looking toward the coming season.

We all think she is ready for a Taos ski week this winter. We'll talk to her at Thanksgiving.
 

4ster

Just because you can doesn’t mean you should!
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My friend (ski instructor) began her mom skiing 5 or 6 years ago when she was in her late 70’s…
293EFE82-6137-4F76-AFF7-54821942C133.jpeg


I remember many decades ago teaching a first timer lady who was 75 yo. I was pretty young & very concerned to not let her fall. Doesn’t seem so old now! I don’t know if she kept at it but she did fine & we were able to ride the beginner lift & get down safely during a 2 hour lesson.
I’ve taught lots of over 50yo first timers over the years.
 
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Tricia

The Velvet Hammer
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My friend (ski instructor) began her mom skiing 5 or 6 years ago when she was in her late 70’s…
View attachment 176912

I remember many decades ago teaching a first timer lady who was 75 yo. I was pretty young & very concerned to not let her fall. Doesn’t seem so old now! I don’t know if she kept at it but she did fine & we were able to ride the beginner lift & get down safely during a 2 hour lesson.
I’ve taught lots of over 50yo first timers over the years.
That's an age where some skiers start hanging it up. Glad to see the encouragement to get into it!
 

dan ross

Making fresh tracks
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My friend (ski instructor) began her mom skiing 5 or 6 years ago when she was in her late 70’s…
View attachment 176912

I remember many decades ago teaching a first timer lady who was 75 yo. I was pretty young & very concerned to not let her fall. Doesn’t seem so old now! I don’t know if she kept at it but she did fine & we were able to ride the beginner lift & get down safely during a 2 hour lesson.
I’ve taught lots of over 50yo first timers over the years.
What is great is that someone that age wanted to try something new. That’s the attitude :)
 

PisteOff

Jeff
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Skied several times in my teen years. After approximately 28 years I started skiing again to get my then 11 yr. old son off the PlayStation and out of the house. I was in my mid 40’s with two severely damaged knees. It turned into a passion for both of us. We’ve taken some lessons and still do from time to time. My last couple lessons were private ones at Taos with local living legend Alain Veith and that was as recently as this past February. Some good instruction will take you to those periodic breakthroughs that incrementally elevate your game. In my experience they’ve been simple adjustments that someone very experienced will spot.
More important is the reps. You simply have to get the reps. Put in the reps, get some guidance. Work on what you learn. Put in the reps. Wash, rinse, repeat. Learn to control your speed with turn shape and cutting across the fall line. Learn how to side slip and edge. Learn to hockey stop. Learn how steer a slip and then edge. Got the Blues going pretty good, jump off piste. Put in the reps in the chop and chunder. You’re going to crash. Learn to ski through the chunder on edge. Start slowly picking your way through blue bump runs. At this stage you’re getting around the resort on primarily blue runs. You should be a lot more comfortable and capable of skiing fast yet in control on piste. How fast you progress comes down to a few things but primarily the number of days you spend on snow. Other factors are what kind of shape you’re in, how coordinated and balanced you are, good fitting boots, skis that are ability appropriate, and the quality more than the quantity of the instruction you receive. It can take a few seasons just to learn what I outlined above. Enjoy the ride.

Your skiing will improve faster than your golf game does and you don’t lose it if you stop for several months……

Jeff
 

AlpineForesterAZ

Booting up
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Gold Canyon, Arizona / Alpine, Arizona
I got back into skiing this past January at the age of 57. I learned to ski back in my late teens / early 20’s. My dad took me and sister to some great ski areas - Telluride, Purgatory, Brianhead, Park City, Alta, Arizona Snowbowl, and Sunrise Park Resort. I never really got past the beginner stage, as I stopped skiing in my early 20’s - not sure why. College and work just got in the way I guess. I think if someone is determined, and the physical abilities to do it, age is not so much a factor to learn to ski. I’m 6’3” 275 lbs - not in the greatest shape but I do make it point to get exercise 5 - 6 days a week. i took some beginner lessons last season, which helped, but to me the main thing that helped was pure mileage on the slopes. Repetition, as Jeff stated above, is what helped me. Just going up and down - and getting as many days and runs in as I could. I don’t live super close to a ski area, but can get to either Arizona Snowbowl or Sunrise Park in about a 3 hour 15 minute drive from home. Leaving my house at 5:00 am on a Saturday got us to the slopes before the lifts we’re running. All in all I think we got 20 days in this past season. I have enjoyed it so much that we bought season passes this year to Sunrise Park Resort. For $469 a person (pre season sale) they offer a great deal. If you are determined, and can get mileage on the slopes, I think age is not much of a factor. I really thought it would be initially, but noticed lots of older people on the slopes- many in much worse shape than me. One thing in regard to stamina - in my 20’s it was super easy to ski all day 8 to 4 - but being in my 50’s - I would typically feel like calling it a day at 2 pm. This got better the more days I got in. Towards the end of the season I was skiing until 3:30 - 4:00 pm. What also helped me is watching some of the excellent youtube videos out there on skiing. Deb Armstrong has a bunch of excellent videos on beginning and intermediate skiing. Look her up on YouTube. She’s awesome.
 
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Danno Ski Dad

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Spain
Started last season at 53. I was looking to spend time in the mountains and do an activity with my 11 yo daughter. We both fell in love with it and did 9 days last season. Progress seemed to come in fits and starts, but we were doing red runs on the last two days. Every day we skied we put in a full day, so that probably helped, and my daughter and an instructor pushed me to do stuff that I found scary but which was really helpful.
I felt really comfortable on skis right from the start, and I love the feeling of it. I think I've sort of mastered carving, but this may be a delusion.
I've been thinking about skiing since March and spend a lot of time watching skiing videos on youtube, so I've gone full geek on it, but don't care.
 

dbostedo

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I think I've sort of mastered carving,

I highly doubt that, since very few members of these forums could be considered to have mastered carving... there's always more to learn, do, be able to control, on different slopes and conditions, etc.

But it's GREAT that you've gotten so into it. This season will hopefully be even more fun!
 

markojp

mtn rep for the gear on my feet
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I highly doubt that, since very few members of these forums could be considered to have mastered carving... there's always more to learn, do, be able to control, on different slopes and conditions, etc.

But it's GREAT that you've gotten so into it. This season will hopefully be even more fun!

If he has a higher level hockey background, it's entirely possible.
 

markojp

mtn rep for the gear on my feet
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erm, I've never played hockey. Maybe 'mastered' was the wrong word, but I do carve in certain conditions. Or at least in my head I do :rolleyes:

Lots of folks think they carve and don't.
 

Even_Stevens

Getting off the lift
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Late to this but my dad.

We took our first lessons when I was a teenager and he was 50 y/o. Former hockey player in college and XC skier and still in excellent shape. While he hadn’t ever clicked into a pair of alpine bindings, I’d say he had a good foundation.

We ended up skiing off the Brooks chair at Stevens on easier blues, and hit Meadows later that year. Next year we did Whistler and skied off the peak chair and did the Saddle. I wouldn’t say we had perfect technique but we didn’t injure ourselves.

This winter I’m going to get some turns in with my dad. He hasn’t skied in a decade, but is still in very good shape for his age (73) and is ready to ski some easier groomed runs. First thing will be a refresher lesson off the same beginner chair we learned on at Stevens.
 

DanoT

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Lots of folks think they carve and don't.
I mostly don't carve and don't care. This is especially true when tree skiing because when that tree is coming up fast, it's turn 'em any way you can. There are no style points in the woods.
 

KingGrump

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when that tree is coming up fast,

You got fast trees where you ski? :roflmao::roflmao:
Hi Dano, remind me not to hang out with you. Too slow for them fast trees. :beercheer:
 

DanoT

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KingGrump

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On B.C.s west coast the trees grow fast. A foot + a year is not unusual.

Phew, a foot+ a year. Even for a old and slow guy like me, I can move faster than that.
 

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